


Somewhere Only We Know

by doorwaytoparadise



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: And its a bit awkward, Angst, M/M, Martin can't remember who they are to him, Memory Loss, but there's a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-21
Updated: 2012-10-23
Packaged: 2017-11-16 18:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doorwaytoparadise/pseuds/doorwaytoparadise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martin loses his memory due to an accident. He is surprised to find he is behind by five years. Meeting up with Carolyn and Arthur is awkward, as its difficult to interact with people he barely knows. Meeting with Douglas is even worse, as he still thinks of him as the arrogant ruffian that makes fun of him. It takes him a while to notice the evidence of a ring on his finger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Darkness. Slowly beginning to fade at the edges, as noise filtered in and he came back into awareness inch by inch. Blinking rapidly, Martin was immediately assaulted by white. He breathed out.

=

Memory loss. The doctors had determined that he was suffering from amnesia, a result of a nasty impact between his skull and concrete, due to a car accident. Martin lay in the bed, contemplating the possible repercussions of losing several years worth of memories. His last memories consisted of working with MJN, the airline that had just recently hired him. According to what he was told, he had been working for the company for a good five years. He wondered how much had changed in his relationships with the rest of the crew. Surely, it wouldn't be too bad?

=  
 _ **I walked across an empty land  
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand  
I felt the earth beneath my feet  
Sat by the river and it made me complete**_

=

Martin looked up from where he had been staring at the sheets, as a light knock sounded from the door. He bade whoever it was to enter, and tilted his head in surprise as his boss and her son came walking in. 

Ms. Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, and her son, Arthur. His boss, the CEO of the company, a stern and slightly intimidating woman, as he recalled. Except, right now, she wasn't looking at him like he remembered. Her gaze was hard to read, but it certainly lacked the usual distance and slight disdain she held when she looked at him, almost appearing maternal, and Martin felt his world tilt just that little bit more.

 

Arthur was the same as ever, with perhaps a little more familiarity. Just as cheerful and full of compliments and exclamations of 'brilliant!' as before, but Martin had seen a bit of worry in his movements, a concern that could only come from having known each other for quite some time, and Martin knew there was more to their relationship than he knew.

=  
 _ **Oh simple thing where have you gone?  
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on  
So tell me when you're gonna let me in  
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin**_

=

The meeting had been awkward, on both sides. Martin didn't really know them like they seemed to know him, and it made simply talking to them difficult. However, once the Shappeys had gone from the room, Martin was left with a mix of confusion, frustration, and surprisingly, contentedness. For if a woman who appeared so cold could care for him in any way, and a man who seemed to love everyone equally could single him out as one worth more affection, than he at least knew he had something good to come back to. It would certainly be worth fighting as hard as he could for his memories back if there were people waiting for him.

Speaking of people, he found himself blinking in astonishment as his first officer hovered in the doorway. He looked incredibly unsure of himself, which didn't fit at all into what Martin knew about the man. Granted, he didn't know much about him, and he supposed the gap of time between what he knew and what had happened would certainly factor in. As the man moved further into the room, Martin tried his best to read the odd body language being exhibited. They had all been told about the memory loss, and judging by the reactions of the other two, he had to assume that there was a lot he didn't know regarding his interactions with the older man as well. Douglas stopped at the foot of the bed, gazing intently at the sheets. He glanced up, meeting Martin's eyes.

“How much do you remember? About me?”

“I-, not much. My mind says we just started flying together, though I've been told that's not the case.”

The other man swallowed thickly. He didn't say any more. Martin could not discern the look the first officer was giving him. All he knew about the man was his arrogant attitude and disregard for safety, and the way he picked on Martin, possibly bitter in being the lower-ranking pilot. The way he stared at Martin now did not fit with all the facts he had on the man, and that was making him nervous. The prospect of simply not knowing was a frightening and frustrating one. 

“Forgive me. For how I acted, as far as what you know. Its been a long time since then, and there's quite a bit that's changed.”

“I gathered as much.”

Martin's response was quiet, a small admittance to some of the fear he held, though he didn't know why he was revealing it to Douglas of all people. Arthur seemed a more likely candidate for such trust, but in Douglas' presence, Martin felt a sense of security he couldn't explain. It was making his head hurt, trying to muddle through the differences in what he knew and what he saw. Abruptly, he cut off his thought process, deciding to focus on it later. He eyed the other man, whose countenance seemed heavy with the weight of something Martin could not identify. The silence bore down on them, and Martin shifted uncomfortably, helpless in his ignorance. It stretched on until Douglas cleared his throat, and quietly promised he would be back some other time, stiffly making his exit.

 

=  
 _ **I came across a fallen tree  
I felt the branches of it looking at me  
Is this the place we used to love?  
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?**_

=

It had been several days since the awkward initial reunions with his co-workers, and Martin was looking forward to getting out of the hospital. He wasn't much looking forward to returning to student housing, though, and to his surprise, Carolyn insisted that he come stay with them. He was too surprised to protest, and before he knew it, he was settled into the upstairs guest bedroom. Everything about this situation was leaving him unbalanced but he was trying his best to adjust. Doctors had advised that he take it easy, and that the memories would come back in their own time. He would like them to come back now, thanks, but with his luck, they would take a ridiculously long time. Oh well, there was nothing he could about it at the moment anyway.

Douglas had visited a few times, each interaction getting slightly less awkward. It was...nice, Martin reflected, seeing as this Douglas was definitely far more pleasant then the one most recent in his memory. He just hoped he'd be able to figure out why Douglas kept looking at him strangely.

 

Only much later, a good two weeks after the hospital, two hours since Douglas had been by, and still up in Carolyn's guest room, did he finally notice something very important about himself.

Martin stared at his left hand. Specifically his ring finger. He hadn't noticed the distinctive tan line, clearly showing that a ring usually sat there. The paleness of the skin in comparison to the rest of his hand was proof that he had probably been wearing it up to and during the accident. He swallowed. Five years was a long time, and Douglas Richardson certainly hadn't acted like Martin remembered. In fact, with the look in his eye as he had watched Martin, coupled with the way he spoke to him...and every other piece of evidence and strange behavior...could it be...?

 

=  
 **Oh simple thing where have you gone?  
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on  
So tell me when you're gonna let me in  
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin**   
=


	2. Chapter 2

Martin thought long and hard on this new discovery, shocking as it was, it felt like he had just fitted a vital piece into a very complicated puzzle. It just felt right. And that scared him, a bit, because in his mind, five years backwards, just getting a date was out of his realm, let alone married. And to Douglas? It would seem there was definitely a plethora of things he didn't know about the man, if he could commit to him so fully. It wasn't as if he didn't like the man, even having only had the limited amount of time with this different side of his, and he knew without a doubt, that maybe he couldn't remember everything about Douglas, but he could learn it all again. After all, he had heard all about how great it was, and really, how many people had the chance to fall in love with the same person twice?

 

The soft notes of a piano drifted up the stairs and Martin lifted his head at the unexpected sound. He knew there was a piano in the house, having seen it several times, but he was fairly certain neither Carolyn nor Arthur played. He quietly descended, ears perked, as he followed the melody into another room. His thoughts drifted to who could be playing, but that was a question quickly answered as he found the source.

It was Douglas? Martin blinked as he rounded the final corner and found himself faced with the older man's back. He hadn't known Douglas played piano...well actually, now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure that he did know Douglas had the skill. How he knew that, he couldn't figure out, but brushed the thought aside for now, as he quietly moved around to the front of the piano.

Douglas had his eyes closed, gently bobbing his head to the song, seemingly at peace. Martin knew better, unsure as he was of how he could read the man so well, but regardless, was aware that there was a storm beneath the surface. Not to mention the rather melancholy piece he was playing.  
Suddenly, Douglas' eyes opened and he met Martin's gaze, and the air left the younger man's lungs with a silent whoosh. Immediately his thoughts quieted, and he stood, leaning on the piano, and listened.

 

_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry_   
_You don't know how lovely you are_   
_I had to find you, tell you I need you_   
_Tell you I set you apart_   
_Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions_   
_Oh let's go back to the start_   
_Running in circles, coming in tails_   
_Heads on a science apart_

_Nobody said it was easy_   
_It's such a shame for us to part_   
_Nobody said it was easy_   
_No one ever said it would be this hard_   
_Oh, take me back to the start._

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures_  
 _Pulling the puzzles apart_  
 _Questions of science, science and progress_  
 _Do not speak as loud as my heart_  
 _And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me_  
 _Oh and I rush to the start_  
 _Running in circles, chasing our tails_  
 _Coming back as we a_ re

_Nobody said it was easy_   
_Oh it's such a shame for us to part_   
_Nobody said it was easy_   
_No one ever said it would be so hard_   
_I'm going back to the start_

 

The song closed, the music faded, and Douglas stayed where he was, still as a statue, no longer looking at him. Martin found it had suddenly gotten a lot harder to breathe.

 

=  
 _ **And if you have a minute why don't we go**_  
 _**Talk about it somewhere only we know?**_  
 _ **This could be the end of everything**_  
 _ **So why don't we go**_  
 _ **Somewhere only we know?**_  
 _ **Somewhere only we know?**_  
=

 

Eventually he had managed to move himself onto the piano bench beside Douglas. There was just enough space between them to be reserved, but not distant. Neither said a word as several minutes ticked by.  
Martin steeled his resolve and decided to dive right in.

“Douglas, you're married, right? I remember, when we first met...”

“...I am.”

“Is she nice?”

“She was, mostly. But I'm not married to her anymore.”

“You're...married to someone else?”

“...Yes.”

“Are they, um, nice?”

“Very... Look, Martin, I-”

“Douglas. Please. There's so much I've forgotten. But I think, the most important parts...are about you?”

“Martin. I-, you should know that five years is a long time...”

“Am I the one you're married to?”

Dead silence, a beat. Douglas turned to stare at him, an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't answer, merely stared. Martin hesitated, before carefully shuffling closer, until their thighs were pressed together and Martin could feel the slight shudder rocking Douglas' frame. Making a decision, Martin leaned into the other man, tilted his head, and pressed their lips together.

It was innocent enough, merely Martin testing the waters, attempting to find something he could recognize in the action. Douglas returned the kiss after a slight hesitation, but did not deepen it. He seemed to realize Martin was still searching, and did not push. When they broke apart, the feeling between them seemed to have shifted. Like something important had slotted back into place, and a painful ache had been relieved. Martin still recalled little more than he had before, but it was progress.

 

=  
 _ **Oh simple thing where have you gone?**_  
 _**I'm getting old and I need something to rely on**_  
 _ **So tell me when you're gonna let me in**_  
 _ **I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin**_  
=

 

“Morning, Skip!”

“Hmm? Oh, morning, Arthur.”

“Are you okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You just look a bit distracted, that's all.”

“Just...thinking.”

“About Douglas?”

“Ye- wait what? How did you-?”

“Well, I know you probably don't remember, but you told me once that whenever you're thinking about Douglas, you always look down and grip your shirt right over your heart.”

Martin blinked and took stock of himself, surprised to find his right hand grasping his t-shirt right over his heart, as Arthur said. He shook himself, and returned his attention back to the steward.

“So I see. Yes, I was thinking about Douglas. I didn't so much remember, as figure out that we were, well, you know, m-married.”

“Oh. That's why Douglas looked a bit funny yesterday.”

“I suppose so, yes. Um, is there anything I can do to help?”

He motioned to the kitchen, currently being cleaned by the other man, wanting to do something useful.

“Well, if you want to, you can help me put this stuff away.”

“R-right.”

The two shuffled about the kitchen, carefully tidying up, and the air between them was tinged with a slight aloofness. Martin didn't know enough about Arthur, and Arthur didn't know how to react to a Martin that couldn't remember anything further than their earliest trips together.

It was even worse with Carolyn. Arthur, at least, had his cheeriness going for him, allowing for most of the gaps to be filled by his chatter, but Carolyn wasn't sure how to treat this Martin, as he seemed very skittish around her. Martin, for his part, was hardly used to any kind of mothering, and coming from Carolyn, it felt a bit off-putting. He sincerely hoped he gained his memories back soon. He wanted to love these people as much as they seemed to love him.

 

It had been a quiet night, and the mother and son had let him be, both now aware of his knowledge on his relationship with the first officer. They knew he needed to absorb this and try to assimilate it into his current mindset. That, however, didn't stop them from giving a little push in the right direction, in the hopes that it may help in moving forward.

Martin stared at the small box on the nightstand. Simple and black, unadorned and unmarked. He reached for it, sensing that it was significant. He opened it, and exhaled sharply. Inside, sat a shiny gold ring. A simple band, but oh did he know this ring. He pulled it out of the box, holding it between his thumb and pointer, turning it in the dim light. Back and forth he rotated it, unable to take his eyes off the simple piece of jewelry. And suddenly, with each turn of the band, a flash of memory lit up his mind's eye. Slowly, it was coming back to him. Piece by piece, his life up to the accident fell into his grasp. It wasn't everything, only highlights of the vital events that had brought him to where and who he was, but it was enough. Shakily, he took several deep breaths to calm himself. For the first time in a while, Martin Richardson nee Crieff grinned, a smile that finally reached his eyes.

 

_=_  
 _**And if you have a minute why don't we go**_  
 _**Talk about it somewhere only we know?**_  
 _ **This could be the end of everything**_  
 _ **So why don't we go?**_  
 _ **So why don't we go?**_  
=

 

Douglas started out of his daze, reaching for his ringing mobile. Turning the device so he could read it, he nearly dropped it in surprise as Martin's name lit up the screen. A small flicker of hope lit up in the back of his mind, but he quashed it ruthlessly. No need to get his hopes up for nothing. He slid the bar over and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Evening, Douglas. Mind unlocking the front door? You know how I dislike standing on our doorstep for too long.”

Douglas' mind stuttered to a halt, barely believing what he was hearing, before kicking into high gear as he nearly dove for the door. Wrenching it open, he came face-to-face with a Martin he hadn't seen in quite some time. One that looked at him with a unique mix of love, exasperation, knowing, and affection, in a way that said he knew exactly who Douglas was. One that was currently wearing both his wedding ring and a very large grin. The world had just gotten brighter for them both.

 

=  
 ** _This could be the end of everything_**  
 **_So why don't we go_**  
 **_Somewhere only we know?_**  
 **_Somewhere only we know?_**  
 **_Somewhere only we know?_**  
=

**Author's Note:**

> For this prompt on the meme: http://cabinpres-fic.dreamwidth.org/4885.html?thread=6877205#cmt6877205


End file.
